a blog for green, holistic, conscious and community-minded entrepreneurs who are struggling with their cashflow, and not attracting enough clients

Friday, February 08, 2008

16 Key Irresistible Offer Making Questions

1. What’s the product or service or special promotion you’re offering (in plain english)? If it’s a service - how many sessions and how long will each one run? If it’s a product - how many, how big etc?

2. How much does it cost?

3. Who is the target market (if any) you’re trying to reach?

4. What are the major problems this product or service solves? What happens that makes them start to think about buying what you sell?

5. What is the major result/benefit/outcome that this product or service gives?

6. What is most important to your target market when buying the type of thing you sell? In terms of the product/service - but also the process they have to go through to buy it. What do they want and what don’t they want (again - not just in buying from you but in terms of buying from your industry - buying the kind of thing that you sell)?

7. What do you do to give your clients what they want (see answers to the above question)? What are your standards, policies, procedures and processes you use to maintain a level of excellence in what you do? We often assume far too much here. Tell me all the details, all the lengths you go to.

8. Is there any evidence you can show to prove all of this?

9. What are the common frustrations, annoyances and hassles people have when buying the kind of thing that they sell? What are the horror stories people have about dealing with your industry?

10. What are the 5 biggest risks that people perceive about doing business with people like you? Are they afraid they’ll look stupid? people will laugh at them? that it won’t work? That you’re a cult? This is the time to get real and honestly assess what fears (realistic or based on myths) might stop someone from taking the step to do business with you.

11. What are the values that you seek to embody as a business? Prove to me that you’re in this for more than the money. Where do you go above and beyond to live your green, ethical, spiritual or community based values? Why should I feel good about myself for doing business with you? Be specific. Do you manufacture or sell sustainable products or services? Do you give preference to suppliers that create positive social and environmental benefits (e.g. local companies, certified organic ingredients, fair trade partnerships, ethical manufacturing, renewable energy), demonstrate a commitment to responsible business practices (e.g. pay employees a living wage, donate a percentage of profits to local charities, minimize environmental impact)? Are you concerned with employee safety, work/life balance and development (e.g. Living wage, benefit programs, telecommuting)? Do you affirm a mission that includes sustainability? Do you wish to educate the public about the economic, social and/or environmental impact their choices have?

12. What is it that you think most people don’t see or appreciate about your business that you wish they did? What are the tiny details they don’t get to see? What’s the extra effort you’ve put in that seems to go unnoticed?

13. What do they need to know (see or hear) in order to feel confident that they making a good decision when buying what you sell? If your best friend in Australia was buying what you sold - and couldn’t get it from you - what would you tell them to look for to protect them from an unpleasant buying experience? What questions would you have them ask? What are the telltale signs of an excellent or a very bad business in your industry? What criteria should they use to determine whether what they’re about to buy is of good value?

14. What else is it that makes it so irresistible? Why is it more than worth the money? What makes it better than the competition to your clients? What’s so different about it? How do you give them what they want but not what they don’t want? I want you to convince me, make your case, show me the evidence, tell me a story etc. Help me understand why I would want to pay you my hard earned money for this.

15. What are the three best testimonials you can send me for this offer?

16. What are the three best one paragraph long stories or case-studies you could provide for this offer?

3 comments:

I have been an admirer of yours for a while now and these 16 questions just reinforce my appreciation of you.

I'd like to add # 17.

How do I see my prospect/reader, customer.

Your perception of your reader colors and shades how you communicate.

Is your prospect resistance and must be pushed to buy?

Is your prospect eager and just needs to be invited?

You may know what your prospect wants, but without being conscious of your own feelings (not thoughts but feelings) regarding your prospect you can undermine your ability to emotionally touch.

Because, no matter what people may believe, the bottom line re: converting a prospect is the emotional connection. And that connection is based in the emotions, and your emotions arise out of your perception of who you're dealing with.

I have been an admirer of yours for a while now and these 16 questions just reinforce my appreciation of you.

I'd like to add # 17.

How do I see my prospect/reader, customer.

Your perception of your reader colors and shades how you communicate.

Is your prospect resistance and must be pushed to buy?

Is your prospect eager and just needs to be invited?

You may know what your prospect wants, but without being conscious of your own feelings (not thoughts but feelings) regarding your prospect you can undermine your ability to emotionally touch.

Because, no matter what people may believe, the bottom line re: converting a prospect is the emotional connection. And that connection is based in the emotions, and your emotions arise out of your perception of who you're dealing with.

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About Me

Between Sept 2004 – Feb 2006, Tad dedicated himself to learning his ancestral language, Scottish Gaelic, in both Nova Scotia and Scotland. He can speak Gaelic pretty good now.
He also has a blog called “Healing Whiteness: An Exploration of the European Indigenous Soul” at which is woven around the core question, “Are white people indigenous? If not anymore, can they reclaim that?“
He is a co-founder of the http://novascotiagaelsjam.com/ and co-starred in Canada's second Gaelic language film https://www.facebook.com/fiddlersreel